Arizona Diamondbacks fans have been watching Corbin Carroll perform well at the plate. The team, though, has some work to do.
Corbin Carroll has been hotter than a Saguaro cactus under an August sun in the Valley of the Sun for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Unfortunately, Carroll's blistering start hasn't resulted in a winning record for the team.
Sure, it's early in the 2026 MLB season, but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo didn't want to see his team struggle from the get-go. After being swept in a season-opening series at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Dbacks came back to Chase Field for their home opener.
That led to Arizona putting together a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. After the Tigers series, the Atlanta Braves came into town.
Heading into Sunday's series finale against the Braves, the Diamondbacks are 4-5 on the season. They're in second place in the National League West Division to the Dodgers.
Brandon Pfaadt will get the start on Sunday for Arizona against Atlanta's Martin Perez.
What, though is happening with Carroll in conjunction with the latest MLB Power Rankings from The Athletic? The Diamondbacks are sitting at No. 19.
According to The Athletic's Grant Brisbee, the most meaningless statistic right now is Carroll's .348 OPS. Brisbee, though, does not believe that Carroll will keep slashing as he's doing right now.
"Here’s why that’s unlikely to continue: A .348 OPS would be a major-league record for the lowest OPS from a player who qualified for the batting average since Bill Bergen’s .319 mark in 1909," Brisbee wrote.
"Carroll had an .883 OPS last year, his age-24 season," Brisbee continued. "He might not have even peaked yet. He is a much better hitter than he’s shown so far. One thing to keep in mind is what’s known as 'sample size,' which is the number of data points we have to measure offensive performance.
"In conclusion, the Diamondbacks’ best hitter will have better weeks than this last one," Brisbee continued. "The Diamondbacks also won’t face a fully armed and operational battle station every time they play. That was probably the real problem."
Overall, Carroll has a slash line of .250/.371/.942 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the still-young season.
Just imagine what Carroll might do all season long if he continues making solid contact. That, in itself, could position the Diamondbacks as being part of the MLB postseason conversations.
The last time that the Diamondbacks made it to the World Series was back in 2023, when they lost to the Texas Rangers.
If Lovullo and the Diamondbacks want to get back into the Fall Classic, then they all must work collectively to be solid both on the mound and at the plate.
After wrapping up their weekend series with the Braves, the Diamondbacks will have Monday off as a travel day. They will travel to New York, where they will face the New York Mets in a three-game series. Following their stay in New York, the Diamondbacks will travel to Philadelphia for a series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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